HONEY & MARMARÄ°S
Updated on : 29th May, 2017
Pine Honey
Pine honey is produced by honey bees, that collect honeydew (basura) from special pine trees (Pinus brutia and Pinus pinea). Honeydew is formed by insects called 'Marchalina hellenica’. These insects only live in MuÄŸla-Marmaris-Aydın-KuÅŸadası, Çanakkle and some regions of Mount Ä°da (Kaz DaÄŸları) in Turkey.
Tens of thousands of insects (Marchaline hellenicas) gather and climb onto pine trees. They live under the barks of the trees, and feed on the essence of the pines. Soon they soon form a white cotton-like structure. Before August, these insects expurge the excess of sweet liquid (honeydew), which they can not digest. The colourless honeydews dangle from the tree like a string. Honey bees collect the honeydew from pine trees, process it with their own secretions, carry it into the beehives and maturate it in the honeycombs. This is basically, how pine honey is produced.
​
Turkey ranks within the first five honey producing countries in the world and it is the top first country in pine honey production in the world. 92% of the world’s pine honey procurement is produced in the Aegean Region of Turkey and 8% is produced in Greece. Mugla contributes to the pine honey production with 75% and Marmaris with 30%. [reference]
Marmaris Honey House
Osmaniye is one of the villages which is unable to get its share from tourism activities generating in Marmaris. Osmaniye is surrounded by pine trees all around, and so pine honey production is highly common in this village. In order to introduce pine honey as an international brand to tourism activities; a museum-like structure, Marmaris Honey House was opened in 2012.
The most prominent feature of the building is its hexagonal shaped rooms, like honey combs. Within the building there are information boards, visual materials, and historical tools regarding bee keeping and honey products. In the backyard there is a live honeycomb with hundreds of bees in it. It is covered with glass on both sides, enabling the visitors to watch it safely. There are also beautifully bee-shaped plants in the front garden.
It is possible to buy local honey and honey products for reasonable prices in the Honey House as well. The prices are much cheaper than the honey stores in the town centre.
